Anyone who knows me, or follows my blog, will know that I am not a fanatic about my health; rather someone who is trying to work with what I have been given and what is avaiable to me to take advantage of the longevity that each of us possesses, but rarely considers. Our bodies are truly miraculous things.  The myriad ways that we regenerate virtually everyone one of our cells in our bones, muscles and tissue every second of every minute of everyday is mind boggling to me.  Miraculous indeed!  So, very much through the good graces of my dear Ombretta, we eat a smart diet (low on meat, high on greens and zero deep fried) and exercise regularly. We also detox and clean out our digestive system at least once a year over a period of 12-14 days.  Detoxing means no coffee, no alchohol or other such things during this period; cleansing means following a juice fast that enables all of the food that gets lodged and impacted in our intestines to be flushed out of our system so that our digestive system gets a 'reset', if you will.

We follow a system called The Master Cleanse (www.themastercleanse.org), which is intense, but highly effective.  When it has been completed, one's eyes are bright white, skin is glowing, energy levels are up, sinuses are completely clear and open, stomach has shrunk, extra weight has dropped off and the mind is extremely clear.  It's not easy, but it is so beneficial that you can't help but be grateful for having had the fortitude to see your way through it to the other side.

The web site I noted above has all of the information and tips you need to learn all about it, but the process itself is quite simple.  You ease into the program by slowing down your food intake each day leading into the program.  Then on Day 1 you only each fruit and raw vegetables, salads, etc. Day 2, you move to vegetable juices all day; and the following day only fruit juices.  All of the juice should be made using fresh produce and fruit and a juicer - nothing processed from a store.  By Day 4, when you begin the cleansing part in earnest, your stomach and mind are already used to consuming less, so you don't feel starved as one might think.  From Day 4 through the next 7-10 days, you move on to a strick regimen; depending on your own needs vis-a-vis the detox and cleansing you need for your body, for the first time, the longer you can go the better.  Your day starts with drinking one liter of warm or cool water (I prefer it to be warm) mixed with 2 teaspoons of salt - they recommend sea salt, but we use Himalayan (pink) salt because it has some 89 minerals in it and tastes better in my view.  The key with this salt cleansing solution is to drink it all in one go - open you mouth and try to drink it all as quickly as you can.  It is not easy the first time you try this, but with practice you'll get the hang of it.  The, within 30-60 minutes be sure to be close to a bathroom!  This mixture is going through your intestines and colon like a roter-rooter and pulling a lot of impacted food with it and there is no stopping it when it wants to come out...  Once you have had one or two bowel movements as a result of the salt water, your body feels really good.  It feels like you are doing something good for your system and, while difficult to put into words, your body reacts well to the exercise.  From that point on for the rest of the day and night, you can drink one of two things - a 'lemonade' or mint tea - and you do this for the next 7-10 days.  The 'lemonade' consists of one half of a squeezed lemon, 2 tablespoons of Grade B maple syrup and a dash of cayenne pepper in hot or cold water, as you wish.  You drink this whenever you feel hungry - as much as you like.  The lemon is a detox, pulling mucus out of your body; the maple syrup is providing your nutrition; and the cayenne is revving up your system to burn fat.  The mint tea is providing you with an alternative taste to help stave off the boredom that comes from the monotony of drinking the same thing for days...  When you have completed your fast, you ease out of it with one day of solely drinking fresh squeezed oranged juice; and the next day you move on to salad and fresh raw vegetables - which taste amazing - your taste buds are ecstatic with the flavor of things in those first days coming back to food!  The day after that, you can begin to eat a normal - albeit smaller portions - diet like you normally eat.

As I said, after 14 days of lemondae, the first time you taste a cucumber, tomatoe, lettuce or onion following this cleanse you'd think your were eating the most exquisite thing in the world because you can taste the flavours so intensely...  That is one of the special treats of putting your body through this act of healthfulness.

After this two week exercise, you go back to your normal dietary routine, but I find that I eat a smaller portion of food than I did going in, drink much less wine at each meal and generally approach my life less 'gluttonously' if there is such a word, for the next several months.  I find that I am more in tune with the wishes of my detoxed, smaller-stomach, body.  I also feel a lot tighter, fitter, physically because I don't stop my training regimen while on the cleanse and everything feels and looks stronger.

So, Ombra and I have two more days of salt water, lemonade and tea in front of us before we begin easing back to our normal diet this Wednesday.  I have to honestly say that I am looking forward to getting back to some delicious food and good wine again, but with just a few days to go I am also very much enjoying how I look and am feeling now - and how much better that will yet be when I get there. 

Like getting regular exercise detoxing and cleansing the intestines and colon once a year is nothing but good for you.  So I encourage you to see if you indeed have control over your mind, quite literally how much intestinal fortitude you personally possess, to see your way through a Master Cleanse.  Believe me, knowing that you can overcome your mind and do this for your body is - in itself - a sign of your overall health, i.e mental and physical!

Here's to your good health my friends!  Good luck!